USDA announces CRP sign-up

WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup, beginning March 12 and ending April 6.

Conservation program

CRP is a voluntary program available to agricultural producers to help them use environmentally sensitive land for conservation benefits. CRP is a program that protects the most environmentally sensitive lands from erosion and sedimentation, and ensures the sustainability of groundwater, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams.

In return, USDA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years.

Landowners with expiring contracts and producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate their options under CRP.

Producers also are encouraged to look into CRP’s other enrollment opportunities offered on a continuous, non-competitive, signup basis.

Currently, about 30 million acres are enrolled in CRP; and contracts on an estimated 6.5 million acres will expire Sept. 30.

Applications ranked

Offers for CRP contracts are ranked according to the Environmental Benefits Index (EBI). USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) collects data for each of the EBI factors based on the relative environmental benefits for the land offered. Each eligible offer is ranked in comparison to all other offers and selections made from that ranking.

FSA uses the following EBI factors to assess the environmental benefits for the land offered: wildlife habitat benefits resulting from covers on contract acreage; water quality benefits from reduced erosion, runoff and leaching; on-farm benefits from reduced erosion; benefits that will likely endure beyond the contract period; air quality benefits from reduced wind erosion; and cost.

For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit a local FSA service center or www.fsa.usda.gov.